Les Jones

Comic Books > "The Riddler Factor"

Above: Dave of Dave's Long Box at Comic Con in San Diego getting his picture made with the Black Cat. I love that picture, I love Dave's comic book blog, and I love this theory of Dave's.

The chief flaw of this story – this two-part – story is that it relies on The Riddler Factor to succeed. The villainess Surgeon General has no powers whatsoever and no formidable skills aside from a medical degree - she just has a bandolier full of scalpels and bone-saws and a head full of crazy, yet she’s more than a match for our two seasoned heroes. Shit, it takes two whole issues for Daredevil and Spider-Man to stop her. How is this possible?

The Riddler Factor is that combination of luck, moxie, and plot contrivance that allows lame villains to survive when they are hopelessly outclassed by their superhero opponents. Basically put, the writer is on the villain’s side. It’s how The Riddler manages to survive 22 pages against Batman – sometimes even longer! It’s how Turner D. Century doesn’t get pounded to dust by Spider-Woman. It’s how tons of minor villains actually manage to hurt or annoy Superman. The Riddler Factor is like a big invisible Cloak of Lucky that protects the villain – until your 22 pages is up, that is. Then you get knocked out with one punch.

Yep. If you've read many superhero comic books you've seen exactly what Dave describes. In one issue our hero levels his arch enemy and his henchman army equipped with atomic laser rifles. Then in the next issue that same hero gets decked by a mugger with nunchakus. The Riddler Factor makes it possible.